Christmas Magic
by Queen of Loopholes
Summary: Booth invites Brennan to travel with him and Parker up to Vermont. They both get a little more than they bargained for. BB. Post Santa in the Slush.
1. Chapter 1

**Christmas Magic**

Summary: Booth invites Brennan to travel with him and Parker up to Vermont. They both get a little more than they bargained for. BB. Post Santa in the Slush.

Disclaimer: If I owned _Bones_ in any way, shape, or form, Booth and Brennan would have started having sex after that kiss under the mistletoe.

A/N: Yep, I caught up on most of _Bones_ (finally) and saw Santa in the Slush. Now I get inspired. Go figure.

**Chapter 1: **_Invitation_

"Aren't you glad you came?" Her father's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked over at him with her observant blue eyes, noticing the pure joy written all over his face and twinkling in his eyes. And if his face didn't give it away, the tone in his voice did.

It made her heart swell with happiness.

Temperance Brennan smiled and nodded slightly. "This is much better than skeletons in Peru," she responded, watching as Hayley and Emma played with Russ.

Max followed her gaze with his own eyes and then smiled, reaching over and patting his daughter's knee gently. "Maybe next year you'll have a family to bring."

She shot him a small, confused look, ignoring the family part of his comment. "You could be out by next year," she said, trying to be positive for him.

"Temperance," Max began, shooting her a look. "Let's face it—I'll be here for the rest of my life." The sadness that leaked through in his tone of voice made her frown softly. She leaned her head against his shoulder in order to comfort him.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "Merry Christmas, Temperance."

**&&&**

The only damper to the day, she decided as she entered her apartment, was the realization that any more Christmases she spent with her family would probably be spent in that trailer. Temperance sighed and set her things down on the counter, opting to end her day with a nice hot shower and a glass of wine.

Her cell phone, however, had other ideas.

She toyed with the thought of ignoring the call, but decided against it, shuffling through her bag and pulling out the electronic device that was keeping her from a much desired shower.

"Hello?" Temperance answered tiredly, not even bothering to check the caller ID.

"_Bones? What's the matter?"_

She smiled and shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "I just realized any more Christmases I spend with my family will be in a trailer where probably hundreds of conjugal visits have occurred." She noticed that he was whispering. "Why are you speaking so quietly?"

"_Parker is asleep next to me. I don't want to wake him up. Are you okay?"_

"I'm okay, Booth. How was your time with Parker?"

"_It was fun. Parker didn't even mind the detour we took."_

The image of Booth and Parker standing next to the Christmas tree they had brought flashed into Temperance's mind. "Thank you for that, Booth. Hayley and Emma really loved that."

"_It's not really Christmas without a Christmas tree." _There was a brief pause and Temperance heard Booth whisper something that sounded like 'No I haven't asked her yet, bud.'

"Is everything okay?"

"_Yeah, Parker was just wondering if—uh—you'd like to drive up to Vermont with us."_

Temperance smiled. "I'd like that, Booth. What time?"

"_I'll call you before we leave. Does that sound okay?"_

"That sounds fine," she responded. "So I guess we both got what we wanted for Christmas after all."

Booth chuckled. _"I guess we did. Good night, Bones."_

"Good night, Booth."

Temperance hung up and set her cell phone down beside her. She had thought that after the kiss under the mistletoe, things would have been awkward between the two of them. Truth was—that was nothing like kissing her brother. She would **never** kiss her brother like that. She isn't even sure if she's ever kissed another man like that.

Well, maybe that was going a little far.

But regardless, she very much wanted to do it again.

Temperance sighed. _You're being ridiculous_, she told herself. _And very unprofessional_. She tried shaking her head, in hopes of clearing out her thoughts. A shower. She'd take that shower she wanted, go to bed, and when she woke up, she wouldn't even remember what kiss she had been thinking about.

Yeah right.

**&&&**

In another part of D.C., Booth had settled his son into his bed, shuffling out to the living room to clean up the mess they had made. His mind, however, was on Temperance.

She had kissed him. And it wasn't just some innocent, long peck on the lips. It was a lapel-grabbing, here-have-some-gum kiss. The kind he used to get in high school, except this one had more feeling. Everything would have been fine, really, if Parker hadn't _insisted_ on having Bones come along for the trip to Vermont.

Tomorrow, he would be spending a massive amount of time in a car with her, half of it alone.

Booth rubbed the back of his neck. It wasn't a big deal. It didn't mean anything to her. At least, he was pretty sure it didn't mean anything.

But it didn't matter. It meant something to him.

* * *

A/N: So there's the first chapter. Consider this an early gift from me to you. I probably won't have the next chapter up by Christmas. It's possible, but I doubt that it'll happen. Review and let me know what you think, because I'm going to need some serious inspiration/incentive to keep going...-grin- 


	2. Chapter 2

**Christmas Magic**

Summary: Booth invites Brennan to travel with him and Parker up to Vermont. They both get a little more than they bargained for. BB. Post Santa in the Slush.

Disclaimer: If I owned _Bones_ in any way, shape, or form, Booth and Brennan would have started having sex after that kiss under the mistletoe.

A/N: I'm sorry about the delay. The hard drive on my laptop failed. I lost EVERYTHING. So bear with me, please, as I try to remember where the hell I was going with this. Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I appreciated them immensely, especially since I was all upset about my laptop. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!

**Chapter 2: **_Road Trip_

Her stomach was doing so many flip-flops, she thought it just might flip-flop its way out of her body. She settled a semi-nervous hand on her belly, hoping to calm her stomach down. She didn't know why she was so nervous. It wasn't the first time she had travelled in a car with Booth. They drove together all the time when they were working.

Except this wasn't work-related. Parker had specifically asked for her to come. Maybe he just didn't want Booth to travel back alone. Yeah, that was probably it.

For the fifth time in 10 minutes, Temperance glanced at the clock. He had called a while ago. _I wonder what could be taking him so long_, she thought as she started to pace about her apartment.

_Stop this!_ She scolded herself, mumbling under her breath as she sat down, her hands folded in her lap. This was all because of Caroline. That damn woman. It was Caroline's fault that she had kissed Booth. It was Caroline's fault that she was acting like a teenager.

It wasn't, however, Caroline's fault that she _liked_ the kiss, now was it?

Temperance had nearly jumped through her skin when she heard a knock at the door. _Calm down_, she told herself as she took a few deep breaths. She walked toward the door and opened it.

"Hey Bones," Booth greeted with a large, but rather hesitant grin.

"Hey Bones," Parker repeated, waving his tiny hand.

"Hi guys," Bones smiled and bent down to Parker's height. "How has your Christmas been?"

"Great! Dad got me the best presents! They're in the car, you can see them when we leave." Parker peeked around her into the apartment. "Ready?" He asked, looking back at her with gleeful eyes.

She couldn't help but chuckle as she nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready," she replied, grabbing her bag.

**&&&**

It was a longer trip than she had expected. She was massively relieved to see the sign welcoming them to Vermont. She wasn't sure she could handle playing anymore road games or singing silly songs.

Brennan looked over her shoulder and saw Parker fast asleep in the backseat. "How much longer do you think?"

Booth nervously glanced up at the sky. "Assuming the weather holds up, it should only be another hour or two." He looked at her briefly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just…antsy, I guess. I've never been good with long car rides," Temperance responded, looking out of the window. "What do you mean 'assuming the weather holds up'?"

"Well, Bones, it looks like it might snow."

"You don't think it'll be bad, do you?"

Booth shook his head. "Nah, I doubt it."

Three hours later, after dropping a reluctant Parker off, Booth was driving at a snail's pace, with large white snowflakes hitting the windshield at a high speed. The wind shook the car and if Brennan gripped her seat any harder, her knuckles would pop out of the skin.

"Okay, so maybe I was wrong…" Booth amended, offering a very annoyed and worried Temperance a smile. "We'll be fine…I hope…"

"Booth, look out!" Brennan exclaimed, pointing to something that had moved in front of their vehicle. She wasn't sure if it was an animal, a branch, another car or what, but she held on tight as Booth slammed on the brakes, sending them skidding and sliding across the road.

They came to a stop on the side of the road, front first in a snow bank.

* * *

A/N: Gotta love crappy filler chapters. Sorry that this is so short, but the next chapter is when things start getting juicy. I know you guys probably wanted to see more about the road trip itself, but according to Yahoo it's a 9 hour trip and even I can't come up with all the things that could happen in 9 hours.

That and my brain isn't working too well lately. But have no fear, the next chapter will be better! That's a promise. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Christmas Magic**

Summary: Booth invites Brennan to travel with him and Parker up to Vermont. They both get a little more than they bargained for. BB. Post Santa in the Slush.

Disclaimer: If I owned _Bones_ in any way, shape, or form, Booth and Brennan would have started having sex after that kiss under the mistletoe.

A/N: I know, I'm taking forever with this fic. Buuut it's not like there are any new episodes to help me or keep you guys entertained. So what's the rush?

**Chapter 3:** _Stuck_

"Bones, are you okay?" Booth asked, looking over at his partner. He undid his seatbelt and moved closer to her when she didn't answer him right away. "Bones?"

"I'm fine. Annoyed, but fine," she shooed his hands away and looked out of the window. "Do you think you can get us out?"

"Stay right here." Booth instructed, pulling on his jacket and exiting the car. Brennan could see him walk to the front of the car. She couldn't see the look on his face, but she judged that it couldn't be good. He was back in the car within a minute.

"Good news or bad news?"

"Booth…"

"We're stuck. I'm not sure we'll be able to get out."

Bones sighed and shook her head a bit. "I didn't sign up to get stuck in the snow."

"Good news is…" Booth began, reaching toward the backseat of the car. "I brought a blanket." He finished, holding up a rather large blanket.

Brennan pulled out her cell phone and groaned. "I don't have any bars, do you?" She asked as Booth covered them both with the blanket.

"Let me see…" Booth dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I have one!" He exclaimed as he quickly dialed 911.

Temperance sighed from relief and looked out the window. The blizzard seemed to be getting worse. The wind was picking up and it was starting to shake the car a bit. There was already a layer of snow on the windshield. She looked over at Booth, who was struggling to talk to the 911 operator. She heard him snap his phone shut and held her breath for him to say something.

"Well, she said that it's really bad outside, but they're going to try their hardest to find us."

"So we'll be stuck here for a while…" Temperance murmured, verbalizing what he had been avoiding to say.

"Look, we'll be okay. We've been through worse. Remember when we got blown up?"

Temperance smirked. "That makes me feel much better, Booth, thanks," she replied sarcastically.

"You trust me, don't you?" Booth asked softly, using a more serious tone than he had before.

"Of course I trust you, Booth," Temperance responded gently, resting a hand lightly on his arm.

"We'll be okay, Bones. I promise." Booth smiled and lifted up the blanket, tucking it tightly around her. "We've been through worse. We survived Epps, didn't we?"

Temperance returned the smile and shook her head. "Just barely."

"You got kidnapped."

"You saved me."

Booth nodded. "I wasn't going to let you die, Bones. You should know that."

"We've come a long way, Booth."

"Trust me, Bones. This isn't the end of the road for us." Booth shot her a crooked grin. "This isn't how we go out."

**&&&**

"I got a postcard from Sully," Brennan revealed when there was a lull in the conversation. "He offered me a place to stay in case I wanted to get away from the cold."

Booth had his hands cupped near his mouth and was blowing into them to warm them up. "Bet you wish you were there."

Brennan smirked a bit and shook her head. "No. I'm pretty happy where I am."

Booth stopped mid-blow and dropped his hands. "You mean in D.C. or right now?"

"Both." Temperance laughed at the look on his face. "I'm freezing but if I had to choose between spending time with your or Sully, I'd probably pick you." She paused and then added, "Don't let that go to your head. I've just known you longer."

"Way to ruin a moment, Bones," Booth said, checking the gas gauge before turning on the car. "I'll leave the heat on for a few minutes. There's about a half tank of gas left."

"You know, if we huddle together, we might be able to stay warmer," she suggested, hovering her hands over one of the vents and sighing from the warmth she felt.

"That's not a bad idea…" Booth looked over his shoulder into the empty back seat. "We could move into the back seat." He turned off the car, causing Temperance to frown from the loss of heat, and moved into the back. He held his hand out toward her. "Come on."

Temperance slipped her hand into his and moved into the back with him, using her free hand to drag the large blanket along with her. She covered them with it, cuddling under it with her head being the only thing peeking out of the blanket. "I never realized how cold it could get up here."

"Me either," Booth responded, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into him and shivered. She was starting to worry that maybe they wouldn't be found. Or, if they were found, they'd be human popsicles.

"You okay?" He asked her softly, worry etching his facial features as he looked down to her.

"I'm cold, Booth."

He reached over with his other arm and pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "Any better?"

"You didn't have to do that…" she murmured, avoiding his gaze.

"You know, Bones, things have been weird between us. You wanna know why? Because of that kiss, that's why."

"Are you accusing me of something?" She inquired, leaning back from him and frowning deeply.

"Why didn't you let me handle Caroline? We could have completely avoided the whole…mistletoe…kiss…thing…"

"Maybe I didn't want you to!" Temperance exclaimed, moving off his lap quickly.

"Why?"

"Maybe I wanted you to kiss me!" she confessed before she could stop herself. Her blue eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Of course this had to happen when they were stuck in Vermont, in a car, in a snow bank, when she couldn't get away.

"Bones…"

She ignored him, however, and kept her back turned toward him. Her cheeks felt warm and she rubbed her forehead. What had made her say that? Maybe she could find a way to take it back. Or at least to make it seem less…

Her thoughts were interrupted, though, when there was a knocking on the driver's side window. Booth moved back into the front of the car and opened the door. Brennan could hear him talking to someone and then he popped his head back into the car. "We're saved. Come on out."

When Temperance was out of the car, there was an ambulance and a couple of cop cruisers out on the road. Well, what would be the road if there wasn't snow covering it. An EMT walked over toward her and draped a blanket over her shoulders. "You're Temperance Brennan, right? I read your book. It's pretty good."

Temperance offered him a warm smile. "Thanks…" she trailed off, realizing that she didn't know his name.

"Joel," he finished for her. He rested a hand on her back and began to lead her toward the ambulance. "Let's get you checked out."

"Oh, that's not necessary. I'm fine, really."

"Just to be sure, though."

Booth was already sitting in the ambulance, a blanket wrapped around him as well. He shifted over and let Brennan sit beside him, looking down at his phone. "Are we going to talk about what you said or are we just going to pretend that it never happened?"

"I don't want to ruin what we have, especially since we're already having problems working together."

"We're working through it though. We've made some progress."

Temperance looked over at him. "We're still not back to us being…us…"

"We'll get there. But not communicating Bones, that's not going to help." Booth hopped down from the ambulance and walked toward a couple of the cops, hoping to talk to them about what'll happen with his car.

Brennan sighed softly and rubbed her forehead. "Hey, you okay?" The EMT named Joel asked as he bent down near her.

"I'm fine," she replied, blinking when he shined a light into her eyes. "Hey!"

"Sorry, just checking." He leaned back and looked her over quickly. "Anything hurting?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm fine. Honest." She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping the blanket tighter around her.

"Okay, if you insist."

Temperance smirked. "I do insist, actually."

"Oh, okay." Joel nodded and then sat down next to her. "So how long have you two been together?" He questioned, motioning toward Booth with a nod of his head.

Brennan looked over at her partner and then shook her head. "Oh no, we're not together. Not in that sense. We just work together."

"Oh. Could've fooled me. Seems like you two have a history."

"I mean, we kissed under the mistletoe but that was just so I could set up a family Christmas for my dad 'cause he's in jail. But Booth and I don't have feelings for each other or anything. It was just a kiss. It was like kissing my brother."

Joel chuckled under his breath. "Are you trying to convince me that or yourself?"

Bones blushed slightly and she glanced over at Joel. "You. Me. Both. I don't know."

"Look, sometimes when you work closely with someone for a long period of time, feelings happen. Ain't that right sweetheart?" Joel tossed over his shoulder to his partner.

The female EMT looked at him and flashed him a grin. "Yeah yeah."

Brennan looked between the two. "Wait, you two…"

Joel nodded and then shrugged his shoulders. "We worked together since day one. I guess you could say it was bound to happen."

"Yeah but if you're not careful, you'll end up waiting for three years before they pop the damn question," she piped in from behind Joel and Temperance.

Temperance chuckled and shook her head a bit. She didn't want that from Booth. But what did she want? A relationship? A hot sweaty roll in the hay? What? She wasn't entirely sure.

"Hey," Booth began, walking toward her. "The cops are gonna call a tow truck to get my car. One of them offered to take you to a small motel near the station so you can get some sleep."

"What about you?"

"I'll meet you there once I get this business with my car settled…" he motioned for one of the cops to come over and then turned back to Brennan. "You'll be fine."

"Booth…" she bit down on her bottom lip then shook her head. "I'll wait with you."

"Bones, please don't argue with me about this. Just go, get a shower, and go to bed. I promise I'll meet you over there."

Temperance sighed and nodded her head, mutely agreeing with him. The officer stopped in front of her and offered his hand to help her down. Once she had two feet on the ground, she handed Joel the blanket. "Thank you," she said to him and his partner, waving and allowing the officer to lead her to the cruiser. She took one last look at Booth and smiled a little at him before climbing into the car.

"Don't worry Dr. Brennan. You're in good hands," the officer assured her with a smile before pulling away from the accident site.

**&&&**

Temperance replayed what happened in the ambulance over and over again once she was settled in her room. The motel ended up being more of a bed and breakfast. It was homey and quaint, but it didn't help her relax. She curled under the fresh blankets of the queen-sized bed and stared up at the ceiling.

She grabbed her cell phone and placed it right near her head as she rolled onto her side. She'd get some sleep and think about things tomorrow. She closed her eyes and, after a while of tossing and turning, fell fast asleep.

* * *

A/N: Finally that's done! I know exactly where I'm going with this, so the next chapter should be a breeze. Don't forget: Reviewing is your way of paying me. :) 


	4. Chapter 4

Christmas Magic 

Summary: Booth invites Brennan to travel with him and Parker up to Vermont. They both get a little more than they bargained for. BB. Post Santa in the Slush.

Disclaimer: If I owned _Bones_ in any way, shape, or form, Booth and Brennan would have started having sex after that kiss under the mistletoe.

A/N: Expect some OOCness in here. Granted, there's been quite a bit up to this point, but there will probably be more here than anywhere else.

**Chapter 4:** _Partial Communication_

Booth sighed softly and dropped his keys on the dresser near the door. He was glad to finally lay down and get some sleep. He closed the door behind him before walking to the bed and flopping face-down onto it. He wasn't so much physically exhausted as he was mentally and emotionally.

He didn't know what to do about Bones. He rolled onto his back and smiled softly. She was definitely something else. He always had feelings for her, but he had never needed a definition for them until now. He cared about her, sure, but did he love her? In a way he did. He was sure he did.

But could they have a relationship? He had said once that people who worked together in high-risk situations couldn't be together. A line that can't be crossed. Did he mean it? Sure, at the time, he did. He had just broken it off with Cam for the billionth time. He was upset. But did he mean it now? Now, he wasn't so sure. It seemed like something, or someone, was pushing him and Bones together.

He was fine with settling for his what-if thoughts, but she wasn't. After that kiss…that damned kiss. That _amazing_ kiss.

Booth groaned and stood up from the bed. He wasn't going to sleep until he had his say.

**&&&**

The knocking on the door was the reason she woke up. Her eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness that draped the room and she blinked a few times. Her brain registered the knocking and she climbed out of the bed, shuffling toward the door with a small yawn. "Who is it?" She called out groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"It's me, Bones."

Temperance opened the door and squinted a little. "Booth? What time is it?"

"It's late. Can I come in?"

She nodded and opened the door wider, waiting for Booth to step inside before she closed the door. She flicked on the light and groaned softly, not ready for the brightness it brought. "Did you get your car?"

"Yeah. We're all set to leave tomorrow. Except for one thing," Booth led her to the bed and sat her down on it, kneeling in front of her.

"Booth?"

"Just, let me say what I need to say…" he took a deep breath and then looked up at her. "When we started…this…partnership, I never thought we would get this involved. Honestly, I thought you'd get sick of being out in the field with me and go back to the lab permanently. But you didn't, and for the past few years now, you've actually become a pretty big part of my life.

"We work really well together Bones. Granted, we don't always get along, and we have our disagreements, but we've managed to work them out. No relationship is real unless it has a couple bumps in the road…" he paused and smiled at her, squeezing her hand lightly.

"That kiss, Bones," he continued, "That kiss threw me off. It got me thinking. I mean, I've always wondered what it would be like if we had met under different circumstances. Would we have gotten together, would we have been friends, things like that."

"What answer did you come up with?" She interrupted curiously, earning a small smirk from Booth.

"You can't just sit and listen, can you Bones?"

"Only for a small period of time," she admitted with a smile. "You didn't answer my question though."

"I think we would have been friends. I never…thought that we would…date."

"Oh."

"But after that kiss, Bones. That's what I'm trying to get at. That kiss changed everything. I don't even know where we stand in 'what if' situations anymore." Booth stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's like, everything's different now. We're never going to be the same…"

She watched him and, once she was determined that he was done, stood up and stepped toward him, resting a hand on his arm. "Booth," she bit down on her bottom lip and took another step toward him. She tilted her head toward his and let go of her lip, moving in and softly pressing her lips against his.

He hadn't been expecting it at all, but he reacted quickly. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her body closer so that it was flush against his. She moaned softly when he bit down gently on her bottom lip. He chuckled at her reaction and stepped away slowly.

"What was that for?" He asked, keeping his hands on her hips lightly.

"An experiment."

"What kind of experiment?"

"I wanted to see if you would kiss me back. And you did."

"I kissed you back the first time."

"Yeah but that kiss had conditions to it. No kiss, no Christmas for my dad. But this time…" she pointed at him. "This time, you could have pushed me away, and you didn't. In fact, you did the exact opposite."

"Well…I couldn't help it, you know. When an attractive woman is kissing me…I like having her close."

"You didn't have to kiss back either."

She looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Maybe he had just kissed her back just for the sake of kissing. Maybe it hadn't meant anything. Then again, it could have meant something to him; he just didn't want to go there right now. She wished she could have the ability to read his mind. Just his mind, no one else's.

"Come here," he murmured, tugging her into his arms.

She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "We should get some sleep."

"Is that your way of saying let's talk about it tomorrow?"

Temperance smirked and leaned back. "We've had a long day. I think we'll be thinking clearer if we get some sleep." She looked back at the bed. "It's big enough for two."

Booth laughed and shook his head. "I have my own room, Bones," he kissed her forehead. "I will be by in the morning with coffee and breakfast."

"And then we'll talk?"

"On the way home, I promise." Booth walked to the door, settling his hand on the knob. "Good night, Bones."

She climbed back into bed and smiled at him, curling up under the blankets. "Night Booth."

**&&&**

Booth stayed true to his word and in the morning, brought coffee and breakfast with him. Temperance was dressed and ready to leave, staring out the window when he knocked. "Come in," she said softly, not tearing her eyes away from the winter wonderland the blizzard had left.

Booth opened the door, balancing a tray on his thigh. "Morning," he greeted as he walked in and settled the tray on the bed. "You okay?"

"It's so peaceful now compared to last night." When the smell of breakfast hit her nose, she looked over at him. "Pancakes?"

"I brought strawberries too." Booth smiled and lifted up a coffee mug, handing it to her before grabbing his own.

"Mm," Temperance smiled and popped a small strawberry into her mouth. "Thank you." She glanced at him and sipped her coffee before putting it to the side. She grabbed a pancake, ripped off a piece and stuck it in her mouth. "Mmmm…"

Booth chuckled and looked down at his shoes, taking a sip of his coffee. "Ready to go home?"

"Uh huh. Did you talk to Parker?"

"I called him this morning. He's fine."

"Good."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, picking at the strawberries and pancakes. Brennan finished with the food and with her coffee, setting the empty mug on the tray. She had done some thinking before she fell asleep, but she wasn't sure if she should mention it now or in the car.

"Bones?"

Temperance glanced at Booth and blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm going to bring this tray back down," Booth dug out his keys and handed them to her. "Why don't you wait for me in the car?"

"But I still have to pay…"

Booth smiled. "I'll take care of it."

"Booth, you don't have to do that."

"Bones, go get in the car."

Brennan smiled at his playful tone and nodded. Usually she would argue with him, but she didn't want to waste the energy. She grabbed her bag and double checked the room once Booth left with the tray. Satisfied that she didn't leave anything behind, she left the room and headed for Booth's car.

* * *

A/N: By far, this was the hardest chapter to write. I had to scrap what I originally had written, so this is the second draft. Most of the time I was like 'shit, what now' or 'that doesn't make sense' or 'that sounds odd'. I wanted to let Booth have his say before Brennan got hers. Definitely review and critique, please. I need feedback. I CRAVE feedback. I'll even take flames at this point. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Christmas Magic**

Summary: Booth invites Brennan to travel with him and Parker up to Vermont. They both get a little more than they bargained for. BB. Post Santa in the Slush.

Disclaimer: If I owned _Bones_ in any way, shape, or form, Booth and Brennan would have started having sex after that kiss under the mistletoe.

**Chapter 5:** _The Ride Home_

This marked the eighth time that Temperance nervously looked out the window, and her action made Booth laugh. "Bones, I checked the weather report before we left. We should be okay."

"'Should be' doesn't sound definite, Booth," she replied, glancing at him through the corner of her eyes.

"Bones, have a little trust in me, okay?" He reached over and patted her knee lightly.

"I do trust you, with my life. Just not with the weather," she smirked and rested her head on the cool glass of the window.

"You okay?"

"Just tired." Brennan lifted her head up and looked at him with a warm smile. "It's been an interesting 24 hours."

"I agree," Booth responded with a nod. He nervously tapped his fingers against the wheel. His mind was on what was going to happen once they got back to D.C. and back to work. Would things change? Probably, but how much? "We should take things slow," he murmured under his breath.

"Pardon?" Brennan wondered, frowning at Booth a little.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him.

Actually, she had heard him. She wasn't entirely sure she had heard him correctly though. She didn't want to bring it up. She knew that when he was ready, they would talk about it. She stifled a yawn and looked back out the window. The sun shining off the white snow was almost blinding her. She looked back over at Booth and noticed the look on his face. It seemed as if he had a million thoughts whizzing through his head. She had seen that look before, but usually it was on a case.

Since they weren't on a case, it either had to do with Parker or her, she assumed. "Do you want to talk about it now or later?" She questioned softly, looking out the windshield.

"I just want to know what happens now, Bones. If things are going to be tense or awkward between us, we're not going to be able to do our job right." He kept glancing at her until she looked over to meet his eyes. "Promise me that if things get awkward, you'll let me know."

"As long as you promise the same," she responded with a small smile.

"Deal," he agreed, returning the smile. "Hey, did you call Angela?"

"No," Bones frowned at the look on Booth's face. "Why? Should I have?"

"Call her."

She stared at Booth for a few moments before taking out her cell phone and dialing Angela's number.

"_Sweetie! Where the hell are you?!" _

Bones winced slightly and glanced at Booth, who shot her an 'I told you so' look. "Booth invited me along to Vermont to drop off Parker."

"_Ohhh…" Angela responded with a slightly sexy tone to her voice._

"Nothing happened."

"_Oh," Angela repeated, this time sounding disappointed. _

"Don't lie to her," Booth said, loud enough for Angela to hear unfortunately.

"_What's he talking about sweetie? Did you two…?"_

"No! No, Ange, we did not…we just got snowed in, so we spent the night in a bed and breakfast until the weather improved."

"_Hmm…are you two on your way back now?"_

"Yes. We should be back in D.C. before the end of the day…weather permitting," she added, glancing over at Booth.

"Hey! I never said I was a weatherman, okay?"

_Angela chuckled. "Drive carefully. And sweetie, live a little, okay?"_

Brennan ended the call and sighed, putting her phone away. Live a little? Was that Angela's way of telling her to have sex with Booth? Probably, she thought with a smirk on her face. She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Angela's advice was echoing in her head.

Maybe it was time for her to live a little. And maybe Angela could help her…

A/N: Thanks to my two Beta Readers: beaglelvr93 and MoonlightGardenias! Chapter 6 is in the works and when I find time between working, school, family, friends, boyfriend and breathing, I'll get it finished.


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